This is an introduction to a unit in Ecology, investigating the human impact on ecosystems and the biosphere. In this lesson, students will investigate the following key ideas:
How might organisms rely on Narragansett Bay?
How ecosystems function as open systems.
Ecosystems can be altered because they are function in a state of equilibrium.
The importance of biodiversity
At this point students will have already been familiar with energy levels and food webs. This lesson will be a nice introductory lesson to get them familiar with the animals and species of Narragansett Bay.
Opportunities to Learn
Depth of Knowledge
Level 2 - Skill/Concept
Students will be constructing a model of a balanced ecosystem
Students will be making observations about importance of biodiversity
Students will be able to summarize how a balanced ecosystem can be disrupted by removing just one species or a particular niche.
Prerequisite Knowledge
Definition of the word equilibrium
The definition/concept of an ecosystem
Biotic and abiotic factors of an ecosystem and the differences between the two
Ecosystems have different cycles (i.e. carbon, nitrogen, water, etc)
Plans for Differentiating Instruction
Process: Differentiated instructional methods
Inquiry Based Learning: Use of inquiry based learning will help create a student centered learning experience. Students work at their own pace and investigate a particular species. Through their investigations and research, they will come up with information that they find relevant.
Cooperative Learning: Use of cooperative learning will help students by allowing the group to investigate individual species and coming together as a whole to make meaning of a larger concept (the class food web).
Accommodations and modifications
Student A: Accommodation needed for writing skills and comprehension of directions. Food web graphic organizer worksheet will be provided in order to provide structure to the research. Explicit instructions will be given on worksheet, as well as verbal directions to check for understanding. Accommodation can be offered to all students.
Other accommodations or modifications will be made according to IEP protocol.
Environmental factors
Classroom setting
Students will have access to computers as well as reference material
Students are encouraged to work together, but complete their own work
Materials
Ecobook worksheet
Research materials
Computers with internet
Objectives
Students will be able to...
Define what it means to be an open system.
Visualize how the biotic organisms in an ecosystem depend on each other.
Explain what happens when a species or niche is removed or limited in an ecosystem.
Analyze the importance of biodiversity in an ecosystem.
Instruction
Opening
Before class begins, write on the board the following questions
"How is an ecosystem like an economy?"
"What do you and the Atlantic Oyster, an organism in Narragansett Bay, have in common?"
As students enter the room, greet them and direct them to the questions written on the board. Advise them to take out a sheet of notebook paper and write a few sentences answering these questions.
When students are all in the class room give them a few minutes to answer these questions. (Take attendance while they are answering the questions.)
Take a few moments and have the students share what they wrote. If students have no responses, help them by getting them to think of the balance of ecosystems and the balance of an economy. Ask the students what might an ecosystem need to balance?
Rather than the transfer of money, ecology relies on the transfer of energy through the ecosystem.
Discuss with the students the concepts of balances in ecosystems, input/output and biodiversity.
Discuss the difference between open and closed systems. Do they think Narragansett Bay is an open or closed system.
Ask them how they are related to the oyster. What things might the students have in commmon with an oyster. Make a list on the board comparing our similarities.
You are like the oyster because you depend on the environment and its resources for survival. We are all related in the ecosystem in some way.
Explain to the students "Today we are going to investigate several organisms in Narragansett Bay and see how they are related to each other"
Advise the students that by the end of class today we will have reached the following goals:
Investigate particular species
Share our research
Diagram how these species are related
Discuss how the environment or other organisms can affect the equilibrium in an ecosystem
Engagement
Activity 1 - Ecobook
Ask the students how they might rely on Narragansett Bay? How do they think other organisms rely on Narragansett Bay?
Ask the students if any of them use Facebook? Explain to them what it is if they haven't heard of it. (Many of them likely know what it is.) Explain to the students that they will be creating a facebook page on paper for a particular organism in Narragansett Bay.
Pass out the Ecobook instructions then go over them as a class.
Students will each be assigned an organism to research in class. (Can pick out of a hat or can choose depending on the class)
Explain to the students that they are going to take on the role of researcher. They are going to investigate a particular species of Narragansett Bay by filling our their ecobook worksheet.
. Ask the students to use reference materials to fill out the ecobook worksheet. Students should communicate with their fellow students and become "friends" with students who are related to their organism in some way. On the students ecobook wall, they should get at least 5 comments from other students "organisms" explaining how they are related to their particular organisms.
Once students have completed that ask them to share with the class one comment that they received from another organisms. Students will then begin to make connections that organisms are not completely isolated, but impact each other.
Activity 2 - Food chain fact sheet
Ask the students to give an example of a food chain. Diagram an example of a food chain on the board. This will give the students a good visual/model in order to prepare them to create their own food chain, for their particular organism. See if the students can incorporate humans into the model food chain.
Explain to students that they will now be making their own food chains, using the organisms that they researched in their ecobook worksheet.
) Explain to students that they can use reference materials, laptops, computers, etc to fill our the worksheet. This will be used in the next activity, the classroom food web
Activity 3 - Class food web - "putting it all together"
Once students have completed their food chain, the class as a whole can create a classroom food web on CMAPS. Facilitate this by opening up CMAPS on a laptop connected to a projector and project it on the whiteboard. Work as a class to create a classroom food web.
Once the food web is complete ask the students to answer the following questions:
How does your organism fit into the food web? What does it use for energy (the sun, another organisms)?
What would happen if your organism were taken out of the food chain. List the organisms that would be affected.
Closure
As a class the students will reflect and answer the following questions. (Guide students if necessary.) Ask students to record their answers in their notebooks as your write them on the board.
How does this created ecosystem function as an open system? How can the equilibrium be disrupted?
organisms dying off, environment, pollutants, etc.
Explain how the organisms in their ecosystem are dependent on each other
rely directly or indirectly for food, population control, etc
Explain what happens when part of their ecosystem is disrupted and give one example.
Collect all relevant materials (i.e. reference materials, computers and classwork.)
Meet the Organisms
An Introduction to the Organisms of Narragansett Bay
State Standards
RI GSE LS2 (9-11)Context of Lesson
This is an introduction to a unit in Ecology, investigating the human impact on ecosystems and the biosphere. In this lesson, students will investigate the following key ideas:At this point students will have already been familiar with energy levels and food webs. This lesson will be a nice introductory lesson to get them familiar with the animals and species of Narragansett Bay.
Opportunities to Learn
Depth of KnowledgeLevel 2 - Skill/Concept
Prerequisite Knowledge
Plans for Differentiating Instruction
Process: Differentiated instructional methods
Accommodations and modifications
Environmental factors
Materials
Objectives
Students will be able to...
Instruction
OpeningEngagement
Activity 1 - Ecobook
Activity 2 - Food chain fact sheet
Activity 3 - Class food web - "putting it all together"
Closure
Assessment
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